Priyadarshini, PriyaAbhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil2025-01-282025-01-2820239596526https://dl.bhu.ac.in/ir/handle/123456789/22962Circular economy and resource efficiency concepts are gaining increasing recognition within the scientific community as enablers of sustainability at the sectoral scale. Simultaneously, the agri-food sector of India while being crucial towards the country's economy also displays tremendous potential in positively influencing the timely attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). The present study therefore focused on ascertaining the status of circularity and efficiency within the agri-food sector of India at the state level. The first objective determined decoupling between energy consumption and economic growth for the agriculture sector at the state level. The second objective focused on developing a Composite Agri-Food Efficiency Index (CAFEI) comprising of 38 indicators distributed across environmental, social, economic and governance categories. The last objective estimated the temporal trend (2009�10 to 2018�19) of efficiency at the state level within the Food Processing Industries (FPIs) using the technique of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The decoupling analysis indicated that agricultural economy of four major food producing states was intrinsically linked with electricity consumption for agricultural purposes. While Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana were front-runners in terms of overall CAFEI scores, considerable variations were visible when individual categories were considered. Average of DEA scores indicated Goa to be the most efficient state followed by Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. A first of its kind assessment, the present study provides evidence for designing policy frameworks focused around circularity. Results also highlight the importance of developing datasets and indicators related to agri-residue management, storage and processing infrastructure as well as sustainable consumption. � 2022 Elsevier LtdenAgri-food systemsCircularityResource efficiencySDGsSustainable agricultureSustainable food systemsArticlehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135660